Diet hopping is pretty standard this time of year. People dive enthusiastically into their chosen programs. Their first week almost always goes well. Five pounds lighter, they proclaim on social media that their jeans fit a little looser and they love, love, love this program.

Inevitably, things slow down.

Rather than stick through it and work through obstacles, they decide to jump ship and look for another plan. Some do this gracefully. Others complain loudly that their former plan doesn’t work.

Thousands of clients helped me tweak and perfect my books, The Virgin Dietand my Sugar Impact Dietbefore they became New York Times bestselling books. Numerous success stories validate the fact that these programs work and get results.

An intelligently designed diet plan will help you reach your goals if you commit and stick to it. Along the way you’ll hit some challenging obstacles, hopefully learn more about yourself, yet when you commit to the program wholeheartedly, you’ll reach your destination.

2. Make a commitment.

If you commit to yourself to burn fat, optimize health, and feel terrific, your whole life will benefit. Things shift as you start to put yourself at the top of your priority list.

Write a contract in which you commit to a plan 100 percent. Don’t limit yourself. Don’t believe it when people say, “You’re gaining weight. That’s the way it is. You will always look that way. That’s aging.” That’s simply not true.

At the same time, you need to be prepared for some inevitable bumps. Instead of bailing during those tough moments, you want to come out stronger and better. Figure out your own definition of personal best and don’t let anyone impose limitations.

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3. Find a program that works specifically for YOU.

Find a plan that works for you and that you can stick with, reasonably, for the rest of your life. Once you feel confident, commit wholeheartedly and you will hit your goal. That can’t happen when you vacillate or mix-and-match diet plans.

Find your big “why.” What is that emotional drive that keeps you on course? It might be volunteering, doing some type of work, or raising kids. If you’re not fulfilling your purpose, you’re denying your best self, which is never a good thing.

Follow these three tips and you will stick to a healthy routine for good. That’s my ultimate hope for you in 2016. Are you ready to tackle that challenge?

JJ Virgin

Celebrity nutrition and fitness expert JJ Virgin helps clients lose weight fast by breaking free from food intolerance. She is author of New York Times best-sellers The Virgin Diet: Drop 7 Foods, Lose 7 Pounds, Just 7 Days and The Virgin Diet Cookbook: 150 Easy and Delicious Recipes to Lose Weight and Feel Better Fast.
JJ is also best-selling author of Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy, a Huffington Post blogger, creator of the 4X4 Burst Training Workout, and the costar of TLC's Freaky Eaters. Learn more at jjvirgin.com.